Double signal alarm



May 29, 1951 E. BOURQUIN DOUBLE SIGNAL ALARM Filed July 13, 1945 IEba/wBoueouw,

IN VENTOR.

BY M I, l

HTTQQNEV Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to electric clocks and has *particularrreference toan electric clock provided with two alarms which can be set so as tooperate independently at any timed interval within a twelve ortwenty-four hour period.

Clocks which are equipped to set off an alarm at any given hourly periodhave long been known and there have also been known clocks and timepieces which could be set so as to repeat an alarm signal at statedintervals once the alarm has been released. Prior art devices, however,have failed to provide clocks equipped with a common alarm release butwhich are so constructed that they can be set so as to deliver twodistinct alarm signals with any desired interval between,

them.

Having in view the desirability of providing a double signal alarmclock, it is therefore among the objects of my invention to provide anew and improved alarm clock in which is incorporated two separate alarmdevices which can be arbitrarily set to signal at any instant through atwelve-hour period.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved alarmclock incorporating alarm mechanisms which can be set independently butwhich are adapted to be released by a common release mechanism driven bythe clock gears.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedalarm clock in which is provided two separate alarm indicating hands inaddition to the hour and minute hands, all of which .rotate about acommon axis at the center of the clock face.

.A further object of my invention is to provide anew and improved doublesignal alarm in which the signal alarms may be set separately at anydesired interval and which incorporates a single shut-off button bymeans of which both alarms may be shut off.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims andillustrated in the r A great deal orattention has been given to alarm clocks in the past in order to supplya signal alarm for a great many diiferent types of circumstances.Repeating alarms have been common, that is to say, alarms which willcontinue to repeat the signals at predetermined intervals once the alarmhas been released. Such double alarms as have so far been provided arelimited in their application to repeating signals spaced relativelyclose together. The priorart has failed to produce a double signalalarm, both parts of which can be arbitrarily set at any pointthroughout a twelve-hour cycle and are entirely independent one from theother. Occasions are numerous where the same alarm clock may be neededto give out successive alarms, as for example, an early morning get-upcall and alater call to awaken a deeper sleeper. alarms have been sodesigned that they could be reset once having been set off, anarrangement of this kind is not suflicient to satisfy all circumstances,since it may be desirable to make both settings simultaneously the nightbefore in such a manner that the release of one will not disturb theother and so that a person, for example, affected by the iirst alarmneed have no concern for the time of operation of the second alarm.

Although the principle of my invention may be incorporated in a varietyof mechanical and electrical mechanisms operated by clock work, I haveselected an electric-operated clock for the purpose of illustrationcomprising a frame or base I'U having a supporting case II on the frontof which is a clock dial or face l2. A minute hand [3 and hour hand l4rotate about the center of the clock face, as do also a fixed alarm handI5 and a second alarm hand 16. Hourly intervals are indicated on anouter circle in order to tell the time of day by the hour and minutehands and a similar hourly circle I! of much smaller diameter isprovided cooperable with the alarm hands l5 and I6, comprising alarmindices.

The clock is powered by means of a field coil 20 connected to anelectric line 2i in a suitable I manner. The field coil has a core 22attached to suitable field core elements which in turn are mounted upona plate 24 within the casing.

A clock rotor unit 25 of conventional construction is providedpositioned within a suitable aperture in the field core unit and derivesits power from the magnetic field set by the field coil 20. The clockrotor unit incorporates a reduction gearing of such design that a pinion26 .may be used to drive a suitable chain of Although single clock gears21 including a set of reduction gears 21' shown generally by the dottedcircle in Fig. 1 and of conventional form, details of which have beenomitted for the sake of clarity. It is sufficient to say that the clockgears are so arranged that they are adapted to rotate an hour handsleeve 30 having the hour hand [4 attached thereto and a minute handshaft 32 having the minute hand l3 attached thereto.

One" of the alarm signal means comprises a shaft 34 journaled on oneside at the plate 24 and journaled and axially movable at the other endina toothed wheel 35. It will be noted that the toothed wheel ismaintained rotatably in position upon a plate 35 by means of a springWasher 31. The toothed wheel 35 meshes with a gear 38 which in turnrotates a sleeve 39 upon which is mounted the alarm setting hand l5. Toposition the alarm setting hand l in a desired hourly position in orderto make the necessary setting, there is provided a knob 4| mounted upona shaft 42 upon which is keyed a pinion 43 set up to mesh with a gear 44which in turn rotates the toothed wheel 35. As the toothed wheel isrotated so that the alarm setting hand 15 points to a desired hour, anaperture 45 in the toothed wheel will take a corresponding position.

A gear 48 driven by the clock gears is in turn connected with a pinion41 and this pinion meshes with the teeth of a toothed wheel 48 securedupon the stub shaft 3 the shaft 34 being slidable axially in itsjournaled supports. A projection 49 on the toothed wheel 48 is locatedin such a position that when rotated with respect to the toothed wheel35 the projection will eventually fall into the aperture 45. Since thetoothed wheel 48 is timed to operate with the clock mechanism, it willbe so designed that it makes one complete revolution in twelve hours,making it possible to set the alarm for any time within a twelve-hourperiod.

A second alarm signal means is incorporated in part in a shaft 53'having thereon a wheel 50 having an aperture 5| therein and rotatablymounted upon the plates 36 and 24. On one side of the plate '36 thewheel has attached thereto a gear 52 which meshes with a similar gear 53which in turn is operated by a pinion 54 attached to a knob 55 carriedby a stub shaft 55. When the knob 55 is rotated the aperture 5! rotatestogether with rotation of the wheel 50. In this instance also, anothertoothed wheel 51 is secured to the shaft 50 and is adapted to mesh withthe pinion 4'! in order to be driven thereby 'so that a projection 58may eventually be received in the aperture 51. The shaft 50 is adaptedalso to shift freely in an axial direction.

A toothed wheel 60 on a sleeve 6i meshes with the gear 52 and is driventhereby. Attached to the sleeve is the alarm hand [6 which indi catesthe hour for which the aperture 5! is set. It will be noted that all ofthe sleeves 6|, 39 and 302are concentric one within another and allconcentric about the minute hand shaft 32.

To facilitate an understanding of the functions of toothed wheels 35,43, 5t and 5! the wheels 35 and 50 may be referred to as striker c'etentreleasing wheels and the wheels 48 and 51 as cam wheels.

. Normally a striker arm for an alarm member or hell 53a, here shown asan armature 10, is mounted so as to be excited by the core 22 within thefield coil 21!. The armature in turn is mounted so as to operate thealarm. So that the alarm is not continuous in operation, a strikerdetent I2 is positioned between the core and the armature. in order tohold the armature motionless. The detent in turn is pivotally mounted atthe point 13 and is pressed by a spring '14 counterclockwise about thepivot point so that a button 15 normally tends to press against a collar16 on the toothed wheel 48. Thus whenever the toothed wheel is rotatedby the clock mechanism until the projection 49 is received within theaperture 45, the toothed wheel will shift axially a sufficient distanceto withdraw the detent 12 from its blocking position, thereby permittingthe armature to vibrate and set off the alarm by striking against thealarm bell.

A similar detent H is provided on the opposite side and blocks operationof an armature 78 similar to the armature 12 above described. It isspring pressed against a collar 19 attached to the toothed wheel 51. Thelast-named detent is provided with a similar spring and operates in amanner similar to the detent 12 whenever the toothed wheel 51 rotates toa position wherein the projection 58 falls into the aperture 5 l. Atransparent face or crystal 40 encloses the time and alarm hands.

In order to stop either or both alarms, there is provided a commonshut-off button 80 having an outermost position wherein both armaturesare released. The button is attached to a shaft 8| upon which aremounted pins 82 and 83. The pin 83 is designed to press against a stopdetent 1e er 84 pivoted at the point 85 and extending transverselyacross shaft 8|. The lever 84 has an end 86 so positioned that it canpress against the armature I8 and prevent its vibrating. As the buttonis p shed into a second position, the pin 82 is designed to pressagainst a stop detent or link 81 pivoted at a point 88 and extendingtransversely across shaft 8! so that an end 89 of the link is adapted tobe pressed against the armature I0 and prevent it from vibrating,thereby cutting off the alarm.

After both alarm signals have been shut off, the button 80 may bemanually drawn or pulled outwardly for repositioning shaft 8| into itsoutermost and inoperative position. In this inoperative position ofbutton 80, pressure has been relieved from the end of the levers 84 and81 which contact the armatures, and thus the armatures are again free tovibrate at newly preselected time intervals.

There has thus been provided a double signal alarm incorporating twoseparate alarm signal means both of which can be set with completeindependence one from the other andeither or both of which can bemanually shutoff whenever desired after the alarm has been releasedautomatically.

All modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims areembraced. thereby.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock provided with independently operable alarm-settinghands concentrically arranged with minute and hour hands of a clock andhaving striker members operatively associated with the alarm handsrespectively for providing two alarm signals adapted to be actuated atpreselected spaced time intervals, the combination of a control meansfor shutting off the alarm signals at the preselected spaced timeintervals and comprising a single push button having an external portionand an internal portion; pivoted members adjacent to the internalportion and extending thereacross in spaced relation, each pivotedmember having an end normally positioned out of contact with arespective striker member, said pivoted members being engageable by arespective element and in successive relation for moving said pivotedmembers against the striker members for shutting off first one alarm andthen the other alarm.

2. In an alarm clock provided with independently operable alarm-settinghands concentrically arranged with minute and hour hands of a clock andhaving striker members operatively associated with the alarm handsrespectively for providing two alarm signals adapted to be actuated atpreselected spaced time intervals, the combination of: a manuallyoperable common shut-oil means for the two alarm signals comprising anaxially movable shut-oil push rod having a portion externally of theclock and a portion internally of the clock; pivoted members extendingacross the internal portion in operative relationship with respectivestriker members, said pivoted members being successively actuated by theinternal portion of the push rod for shutting oif first one alarm signaland then the second alarm signal.

3. In a clock having a base, a supporting frame, a dial and a clockmechanism including an hour and minute hand gear train, the combinationof: a pair of alarm signal means comprising each a set of axiallyaligned actuating wheels arranged for relative axial movement at apreselected time, one of said actuating wheels being driven by the geartrain, a time indicator for each signal means, a manual setting elementtherefor, an alarm member, a reciprocating armature normally subject toexcitation by the clock mechanism adapted to cooperate with the alarmmember, releasable means for inhibiting operation of the armature atother than set alarm periods comprising an element engaging saidarmature and the actuating wheel driven by the gear train; and ashut-off for said alarm signal means comprising a reciprocating externalcontrol common to both signal means extending from the outside into theinterior of the clock, individual armature holding links having anengaged position and a disengaged position mounted adjacent thereciprocating control, said reciprocating control having a disengagedposition for both links, and successive engaged positions respectivelyfirst for one link and then for the other link.

4. In an electrically operated clock having a base, a supporting frame,a dial, a field coil and an electro-magnetic field associated therewithand an electromagnetically driven gear having an hour and minute handgear train connected therewith, the combination of: a pair of alarmsignal means comprising each a set of axially' aligned actuating wheelsarranged for relative axial movement at a preselected time, one of saidactuating wheels being driven by the gear train, a time indicator foreach signal means, a setting knob therefor; an alarm member, an armaturenormally subject to excitation of the field coil adapted to cooperatewith the alarm member; releasable means for inhibiting operation of thearmature at other than set alarm periods comprising an element engagingsaid armature and the actuating wheel driven by the gear train; and ashut-oilfor said alarm signal means comprising a push button common toboth signal means, an extension thereon within the frame, individualarmature depressing links normally released therefrom and movablymounted adjacent the extension and contacting elements on the extensionhaving different respective positions relative to the links whereby thelinks are successively actuated thereby at difierent positions of thepush button,

5. In an electrically operated clock having a base, a supporting frame,a dial, a field coil and an electro-magnetic field associated therewithand an electromagnetically driven gear having an hour and minute handgear train connected therewith, the combination of: a pair of alarmsignal means comprising each a set of axially aligned actuating wheelsarranged for relative axial movement at a preselected time, one of saidactuating wheels being driven by the gear train, a time settingindicator for each signal means, a setting knob therefor; an alarmmember, an armature normally subject to excitation of the field coiladapted to cooperate with the alarm member; releasable means forinhibiting operation of the armature at other than set alarm periodscomprising an element engaging said armature and the actuating wheeldriven by the gear train; and a shut-off for said alarm signal meanscomprising a push button common to both signal means, an extensionthereon within the frame, individual links pivotally mounted adjacentthe extension extending into contact respectively with the armatures andpins on the extension initially positioned at unequal distances from thelinks and having successive positions of engagement with the linkswhereby said links are successively depressed to armature arrestingpositions at different times.

6. In a clock mechanism having a frame, a dial and a clock mechanism,the combination of a plurality of alarm signal means comprising each aset of axially aligned actuating wheels arranged for relative axialmovement at a preselected time, one of said actuating wheels beingdriven by the gear train, a manual setting element therefor, areciprocating alarm lever normally subject to excitation by the clockmechanism, a releasable means for inhibiting operation of the alarmlever comprising an element engaging said alarm lever and the actuatingwheel driven by the gear train, and a manual shut-off for said alarmlevers comprising external control means extending from outside to theinside of said mechanism and a linkage from the control means havingalternately engaged and disengaged relationships with the alarm levers.

EDGAR BOURQUIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,049,914 Porter Jan. '7, 19131,240,482 Porter Sept. 18, 1917 2,002,433 Cowles May 21, 1935 2,026,070Sholden Dec. 31, 1935 2,166,683 Grayson July 18, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 419,059 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1934 497,294 GreatBritain Dec. 16, 1938

